Can’t see the dollars in the forest

By Rick Johnson, Executive Director-

For good reason much is being made of the current financial crisis, but I just came upon this story from the BBC reporting on a study that measures the economic cost of forest loss.

“The global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests than through the current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study,” the BBC reports.

Forest ecosystems provide many valuable services like absorbing carbon dioxide and as a source of clean water.

The BBC reported study was commissioned by the European Union.  Study leader Pavan Sukhdev said,”So whereas Wall Street by various calculations has to date lost, within the financial sector, $1-$1.5 trillion, the reality is that at today’s rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year.”

There is an added Halloween scare for you.

Going Rogue on Halloween

By Sara Cohn, Community Conservation Associate-

On this day of All Hallow’s Eve, I am inspired to share 5 ways in which you can be unpredictable and make this holiday less about orange and black and more about green.

1. Make a skeleton out of old milk cartons and twist ties. It is “recycle, reuse, reduce,” all with ghoulish flair.
2. Sedate your friends with tons of organic chocolate and homemade sweets – steer clear of the pre-processed, pre-packaged, store bought candy.  Thank you, Food Network for your wisdom.
3. Make your own costume. Dressing up as Sara Palin seems to be hot this year.
4. Use gourds and leaves as decorations. Hey – it’s nature, it’s beautiful, it’s free.
5. Send a really spooky E Halloween card.

Boo – Boise. Happy Halloween.

Making Our Commute A Little Easier

By Betsy Bridge, Energy Efficiency Associate-

One of the little talked about pieces of the $700 billion bailout package passed by Congress is the Bike Commuter Act.  The Act will allow employers who provide bike parking, tune-ups, or other support for bicycle commuting, to deduct up to $20 a month per participating employee from their taxable income.

Ironically, Congressman Earl Blumenauer who has been pushing the Act in Congress for years had to vote against his own bill due to his disapproval of the bailout.

Of course, the measly $20 deduction doesn’t compare to the tax payer support for those who drive to work but at least there is something we can celebrate that came out of the bailout package.

A New Deal for a New Century

By Sara Cohn Community Conservation Associate -

I was on GRIST this morning and found a quote that gave me pause:

“We have seen the consequences of ignoring risk in the current economic and financial crisis. It has already led to negative growth in rich countries. The risk consequences of ignoring climate change will be very much bigger that the risk consequences of ignoring risk from the financial system.”
– Sir Nicholas Stern, former World Bank chief economist and author of the Stern Report

Climate change, global warming, global climate change – whatever you prefer to call it, is a process that threatens to change our world in ways that will make living on this planet more difficult.

I have been thinking a lot about global warming lately, either because of recent local climate protection activities in Boise or because of the national focus on energy security and financial stability. I can’t shake this feeling that we have an opportunity in this time of change to make the right decisions to protect our planet and our communities.

I hope that our leaders, whomever they may be in the next few months, will support something like the “Green New Deal” – putting the pieces together by developing renewable and domestic energy resources, updating food policies, securing financial stability in local communities, and promoting climate protection.

The Cost of Carbon

By Betsy Bridge, Energy Efficiency Associate-

The airline industry has been described as one of “the world’s fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases,” with airplanes emitting more than 600 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year.

In an attempt to reduce these numbers, the European Union is now going to put a price on airline’s CO2 emissions.  Beginning in 2012 jets that take off from or land at airports in Europe must comply with European rules on greenhouse gas emissions.

This means that airlines that fly to European airports, including non-European carriers like American Airlines, will have to account for their emissions by purchasing emission permits.

While the airline industry and the U.S. have harshly criticized the rule, it may have provided extra motivation to begin exploring sustainable fuels for the airline industry.  Boeing, the Natural Resources Defense Fund, and other groups in the airline industry have established a group to study the potential for biofuels for jets. Creating sustainable jet fuel is not as far fetched as it sounds.  Some groups are already doing test flights with 100% biodiesel fuel.

I think the lesson here is the higher the price of conventional fossil fuels the higher the motivation to develop more sustainable sources of energy.

Imagine the motivation we might find if the U.S. put a price on carbon.

Coeur d’Alene Lake Plan Panned

(Photo from Art Spirit Gallery)

By Susan Drumheller, North Idaho Associate-

Lake Coeur d’Alene has problems.

As beautiful and inviting as it seems, lurking in the bottom sediments are heavy metals that risk being mobilized and spread around through benign neglect – or worse.

So the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and Coeur d’Alene Tribe have spent many months writing a lake management plan that will keep the lake safe for people and fish, while keeping federal intervention at bay.

But despite the tribe and state’s efforts to make the plan palatable to local officials, commissioners in Kootenai, Benewah and Shoshone counties have complained that it contains too much study and not enough action, according to The Spokesman-Review.

It appears the commissioners are mainly concerned that the tribe was one of the authors of the plan, and they weren’t (the commissioners gave input, like other stakeholders, but the plan was written by DEQ and the tribe).

I wonder if the commissioners had written the plan, would they have required more aggressive actions from themselves and other regulatory agencies?

By rejecting this plan – the commissioners might as well roll out the red carpet for Superfund designation. Without the support of local leaders, the plan won’t get state funding, and EPA will have little choice but to step in and take over.

New York Times: Wilderness Within Reach

By Justin Hayes, Program Director-

Monday’s (10/27/08) edition of the New York Times editorialized on the possible passage of a broad omnibus public lands bill in a post election lame duck session of Congress.  This omnibus bill contains Senator Crapo’s (ID-R) bill to protect the Owyhee Canyonlands.  See an excerpt below:

EDITORIAL: Wilderness Within Reach

“It looks increasingly likely that both the Senate and the House will return to Washington after the election to address the economy and, possibly, to pass a new stimulus bill. If they do, we urge them to find time for one other piece of business — a public lands bill that, at modest expense, could add nearly two million acres to the nation’s store of permanently protected wilderness.

The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, has promised to consider the bill. A similar commitment is now required from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose home state of California stands to benefit greatly. The bill consists of more than 140 separate public land proposals, including 15 wilderness measures that would forever protect wild lands in eight states — including 517,000 acres in Idaho’s Canyonlands, 470,000 acres in California’s Eastern Sierra and San Gabriel Mountains, and 11,700 acres of Lake Superior shoreline in northern Michigan.”

Idaho Needs to Stop Exotic Invaders

By Justin Hayes, Program Director-

Susan Drumheller, based out of our Sandpoint office, penned the following opinion editorial on the State’s failure to adequately address the threat of invasive species.  Her article ran this past weekend in the Bonner County Daily Bee.  Below is excerpt of the opinion piece:

Last spring, the Idaho Conservation League worked with North Idaho legislators to help pass the Invasive Species Act of 2008. The Act places emphasis on keeping exotic invaders out of our lakes so that we can avoid contentious battles about how to eradicate an invading species after it has already made its home in our lakes.

It’s the old adage of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The law was intended to prevent the infestation of state waterways by exotic freshwater mussels that can destroy aquatic ecosystems, clog pipes and ruin boat motors. Such an infestation could cost the state millions of dollars and threaten the very things that make North Idaho’s lake country a great place to live.

But despite the good intentions of the law, the subsequent rulemaking under the Department of Agriculture has failed to meet the needs of Idaho.

The ball now has bounced back in the Legislature’s court. Without some sort of legislation to provide funding for the creation of check stations and training programs, it’s uncertain if any real protection will come from the law passed in 2008.

Election projectin’

Rick Johnson, Executive Director–

A favorite site for election polling analysis is fivethirtyeight, named for the total number of electoral votes. Look the site over for some of the best analysis of what the various polls mean and currently are.

Last Wednesday they profiled Idaho. While you may guess how the presidential election is shaping up in Idaho, there is still an excellent data profile of our state that’s worth a visit.

The Catch O’ the Day

By Sara Cohn, Community Conservation Associate -

By now, it has probably become clear to our frequent blog readers that I love pocket guides.
As I was internet fishing this morning, I found the quintessential urbanite pocket guide – The Sushi Selector.

For those of us who like raw fish, selecting the appropriate, environmentally friendly and mercury-free delight can be difficult. Human health issues related to mercury consumption  and studies documenting the decline of oceanic fish populations caused by industrialized fishing operations – let’s face it – reduce the tasty pleasure of a lump of raw fish.

To my delight, the Blue Ocean Institute , Environmental Defense, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium have provided the sushi lover with a handy reference guide to guilt-free and healthy sushi consumption.

Enjoy.